AOC AG271QX: 1440p 144Hz FreeSync Gaming Monitor

Ideally, if you purchase a gaming monitor right now, it should have some sort of Adaptive-Sync technology (G-SYNC or FreeSync) and a 144Hz refresh rate and above, unless the resolution is a bandwidth limitation with current standards. Well, this is our opinion and the requirements vary from person to person. We recently wrote about the AOC AGON gaming monitor line-up and the first monitor in the series has now been revealed: the AOC AG271QX.
This gaming monitor meets both these requirements, which makes it an excellent choice already for a good gaming monitor for all gamers. Also, have latency in mind, as a low input lag is crucial in games like CS:GO, Battlefield and Call of Duty, and is a must-have for pro gamers.

This monitor combines the colors red, silver and black to create a stylish and modern look. The bezel itself is made of matte black plastic and a dark-red AGON logo can be seen on the bottom bezel. Looking closer at the monitor stand, we can conclude that it is fully adjustable and even includes a scale system that you can use as a tool to adjust the stand properly.

The panel used in this gaming monitor is a 27-inch TN panel with a 2560 x 1440 resolution. This resolution is perfect for a monitor of this size, as a 1080p resolution could simply not fit the bill. Furthermore, the panel boasts a 1000.1 static contrast ratio and a 144Hz refresh rate. Adaptive-Sync is also supported, meaning that if you have an AMD graphics card that supports AMD FreeSync, you can enable the feature to have the refresh rate of the monitor vary from 30 – 144Hz. The refresh rate is matched exactly to the output of frames per second that your graphics card renders.

Another cool thing is that true 8-bit is supported, meaning that no dithering is used. AOC claims a 170°/160° viewing angles spec, which was expected since this is a TN panel monitor, that does not offer the great viewing angles and color quality as IPS panels. On the plus side, TN panels can have a lower response time, which is also the case with the AOC AG271QX – only 1ms! The WLED backlight is flicker-free, and a Low Blue Light option is included so that you can protect your eyes against dangerous blue rays and help to keep your eyes more comfortable.

A gamer-friendly feature that this monitor has is the “Low Input Lag” mode that will lower the overall input lag your monitor has by skipping some of the image processing and thereby minimizing the signal delay. Another handy feature is the included “Shadow Control” that will lighten objects in dark areas and a “QuickSwitch” controller that will allow you to easily navigate through the OSD menu system. The QuickSwitch controller connects via Mini USB like BenQ’s S-Switch that you might already be aware of.

On the rear side of the gaming monitor, you will find the following connection options: two USB 3.0 ports, a 3.5mm microphone jack and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The yellow USB 3.0 port has fast-charging, so you can charge, for instance, your phone quickly. Facing downwards, you can find the following ports: two more USB 3.0 ports (both upstream), a HDMI 1.4 port and DisplayPort 1.2a that you need to use in order for FreeSync to work.

AOC lists a suggested retail price of €599 on the official AOC gaming website and a release date of June 2016. Are you excited for this monitor?